Fastener strip



Nov. 27, 1956 F. :4. SMITH 2,771,610

FASTENER STRIP Filed April 11. 1955- Pen/v1 6. 6407A uvmvrm United States Patent 3 2,771,610 FASTENER STRIP Frank G. Smith, Pasadena, Calif. Application April 11, 1955, Serial No. 500,590 1 Claim. (Cl. 1-56) This invention relates to improvements in packaging small fasteners such as brads, tacks, rivets, and the like. Many of these fasteners have relatively short shanks or may have relatively broad heads. In some instances such as, for example, in upholstery nails or tacks, there may be a combination of broad head and relatively short shank. Fasteners of this type which are apt to be percussively driven are frequently so small that they cannot be individually held conveniently between the thumb and forefinger while being started or driven by a hammer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a type of package for small fasteners of this type consisting essentially of an elongated paper strip which is reinforced along one side edge thereof and which has the shanks of the fasteners extending through the strip at regularly spaced intervals. The strip is weakened from the shanks of the fasteners to the other or unreinforced edge. In this manner, even though the fasteners are of such size and shape that they cannot be conveniently held between the thumb and forefinger, they may be individually positioned by the paper strip. When thus held they may be started or partially driven by a hammer and, once having been started, the paper strip may be drawn laterally, causing the shank to pass from the strip along the weakened line and after the paper strip has been thus removed the fastener may be completely driven.

If the fasteners are arranged on the strip at regularly spaced intervals the strip may be used to properly space separate fasteners from each other as in the case of upholstery tacks where it is desired to have the tacks driven at equal spaces from each other.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a package embodying the present invention with one fastener thereof about to be started;

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but illustrating the manner in which the strip is removed from the fastener and the fastener completely driven;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a modification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved package consists of an elongated strip of paper indicated at 10, one side edge of which is re versely folded upon itself as indicated at 11 and adhesively fastened or otherwise secured to the body of the strip. This reversely folded edge causes one side of the strip to be effectively reinforced due to the double thickness. Other means for reinforcing the side edge may be employed if desired. If the side edge of the strip is folded upwardly so that the reversely folded portion 11 appears on the top of the strip it also functions as an indicator, indicating the direction in which the strip is ultimately to be pulled from the fastener after the fastener has been started.

Along the length of the strip a plurality of fasteners P, such as tacks, have their heads positioned on the top surface of the strip and their shanks extending through apertures or perforations 12 that are arranged at regularly spaced intervals. The heads of the fasteners contact 2,771,610 Patented Nov. 27, 1956 the top surface of the strip and the shanks protrude downwardly below the bottom surface thereof. Each aperture or perforation 12 is connected to the opposite or unreinforced side edge of the strip by a slit 13. This slit is, of course, narrower than the diameter of the shank 14 of each fastener and in the preferred form of construction the diameter of the apertures or perforations 12 is slightly less than the diameter of the shank 14 so that the shanks will be frictionally held in position therein.

In using the package, the foremost fastener may be positioned by means of the paper tape over the exact location where it is to be driven. It may then be partially driven by a light tap of a hammer H. After the shank has been partially driven into the work the strip may then be pulled laterally and during this pulling the shank passes through the weakened line or slit 13. After the tape has been removed the fastener may be completely driven into the work. The operation may be repeated with succeeding fasteners along the length of the tape. It will, of course, be appreciated that While the tape is being held, it functions as a positioner for positioning the foremost fastener at the exact point where the fastener is to be driven. As the fasteners are located along the length of the tape at regularly spaced intervals it is, of course, possible to use the tape to position the fasteners with this spacing. A plurality of fasteners may consequently be started in the work before the tape is laterally withdrawn from their shanks. In this event the spacing of the fasteners along the length of the tape is utilized to equally space the fasteners from each other when driven into the work.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified or alternative form of construction wherein the tape 10a instead of being weakened by means of a slit 13, is equipped with perforated lines 13a which extend from the shanks to the unreinforced edge of the tape. The operation of this form of construction is substantially the same as that previously described except that in withdrawing the tape from the started fastener the tape must be torn along the weakened line.

In selling packages of fasteners construction as above described the entire tape may be rolled up with its supplied fasteners and sold in a box or, if desired, the tape may be cut up and sold in suitable lengths.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A package of fasteners comprising an elongated tape, said tape being reversely folded along one side edge thereof with the reversely folded portion disposed on the upper side of the tape and extending only partially toward the opposite edge of the tape, fasteners having shanks extending through the tape at spaced intervals through that portion of the tape that is not covered by the reversely folded portion, said fasteners having heads disposed against the upper side of the tape and against that portion which is not covered by the reversely folded portion, and the tape being weakened on laterally extending lines extending from each shank to the edge of the tape that has not been reversely folded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 406,451 Lange July 9, 1889 1,378,550 Miller May 17, 1921 1,736,636 Tatar Nov. 19, 1929 2,086,449 Timmerbeil July 6, 1937 2,156,966 Bray May 2, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,070 Great Britain July 16, 1906 

